APPARATUS, METHOD AND ARTICLE FOR VEHICLE TURN SIGNALS

• US 20140142786A1
• Filed: 11/14/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Jui Sheng, Luke, Hok-Sum Horace, Chen, Ching
• Granted Patent: US 9,216,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/40 having mechanical, electric or electronic automatic return to inoperative position
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0965 responding to signals from another vehicle, e.g. emergency vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle turn signal system causes a turn signal to turn off when a turn is completed or nearly completed based on the orientation of the vehicle changing to turn to a certain degree in a direction indicated by the turn signal. Current heading, position, location and/or or other such information is electronically received from a compass or other device by a turn signal switch controller. When the vehicle has changed direction from the direction the vehicle was traveling at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on, a signal is sent to turn off the turn signal and reset the manual turn signal button or lever.

Claims

1. A turn signal system for a vehicle, comprising:

at least one controller; and

at least one communications line coupled to the at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller is configured to;

receive, via the at least one communications line, information indicative of a turn signal of the vehicle having been turned on and information regarding a direction associated with the turn signal;

receive, via the at least one communications line, compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle was heading at a time associated with when the turn signal was turned on;

receive, via the at least one communications line, compass information indicative of the vehicle having changed direction from the direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on;

make a determination of whether to send a signal to turn off the turn signal based on the received compass information indicative of the vehicle having changed direction from the direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on; and

send the signal to turn off the turn signal if a determination was made to send the signal to turn off the turn signal.

2. The turn signal system of claim 1 wherein the received compass information indicative of the vehicle having changed direction includes information indicative of a current direction in which the vehicle is heading.

3. The turn signal system of claim 2 wherein the at least one controller is configured to make the determination of whether to send the signal to turn off the turn signal by being at least configured to:

determine whether the current direction in which the vehicle is heading is toward the direction associated with the turn signal;

determine a difference between the current direction in which the vehicle is heading and the direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on;

determine whether the difference is greater than a threshold difference value; and

if the difference is greater than the threshold difference value and the current direction in which the vehicle is heading is toward the direction associated with the turn signal, make a determination to send the signal to turn off the turn signal based at least on the difference being greater than the threshold difference value.

4. The turn signal system of claim 3 wherein the threshold difference value is in a range of approximately 70 degrees to approximately 90 degrees.

5. The turn signal system of claim 3 wherein the threshold difference value is approximately 80 degrees.

6. The turn signal system of claim 3 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to make the determination of whether to send a signal to turn off the turn signal by being at least configured to:

determine whether the current direction in which the vehicle is heading is in a direction substantially opposite the direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on; and

if the current direction in which the vehicle is heading is substantially opposite the direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on, make a determination to not send the signal to turn off the turn signal based at least on the current direction in which the vehicle is heading being substantially opposite the direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on.

7. The turn signal system of claim 2 further comprising a compass coupled to the at least one controller and wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive from the compass the compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle was heading and the compass information indicative of the vehicle having changed direction.

8. The turn signal system of claim 2 wherein the at least one controller is part of a compass which is configured to generate the information indicative of which direction the vehicle was heading and the compass information indicative of the current direction in which the vehicle is heading.

9. The turn signal system of claim 2 further comprising a turn signal switch coupled to the a least one controller and wherein the at least one controller is configured to send to the turn signal switch the signal to turn off the turn signal.

10. The turn signal system of claim 9 wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive from the turn signal switch the information indicative of the turn signal having been turned on and the information regarding the direction associated with the turn signal.

11. The turn signal system of claim 9 wherein the turn signal switch is one of the following:

a mechanical switch, an electro-mechanical switch.

12. The turn signal system of claim 9 wherein the turn signal switch is an electronic switch.

13. The turn signal system of claim 2 further comprising:

a wireless communications module coupled to the communications line, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive via the wireless communications module the compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle was heading and the compass information indicative of the vehicle having changed direction.

14. The turn signal system of claim 13 wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive from a satellite system via the wireless communications module the compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on and the information indicative of the current direction in which the vehicle is heading.

15. The turn signal system of claim 2 wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive the information indicative of the current direction in which the vehicle is heading by at least being configured to:

in response to receiving the information indicative of the turn signal having been turned on and the information regarding the direction associated with the turn signal;

send a signal to request the information indicative of the current direction in which the vehicle is heading; and

receive the information indicative of the current direction in which the vehicle is heading in response to the signal sent to request.

16. The turn signal system of claim 2 wherein the at least one controller further comprises a memory coupled to the at least one controller, and is configured to receive the compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on and receive the information indicative of the current direction in which the vehicle is heading by being at least configured to:

over a period of time that includes a substantially current time, receive compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle is heading;

store in the memory the received compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle is heading substantially as the compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle is heading is received;

within the period of time, and in response to the receiving the information indicative of the turn signal having been turned on, retrieve from the stored compass information the information indicative of which direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on; and

after retrieval of the information indicative of which direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on, retrieve from the stored compass information, information stored at the substantially current time as the information indicative of the current direction in which the vehicle is heading.

17. The turn signal system of claim 16 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to initiate the storing in the memory of the received compass information in response to receipt of the information indicative of the turn signal having been turned on.

18. A method in an automated turn signal system for a vehicle, comprising:

receiving, by the automated turn signal system, an electrical signal indicative of a turn signal of a vehicle being on; and

sending, by the automated turn signal system, an electrical signal causing the turn signal to turn off automatically based on an orientation of the vehicle changing to turn in a direction indicated by the turn signal at a time associated with when the turn signal was turned on.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the sending the electrical signal causing the turn signal to turn off automatically includes causing a button or lever of switch of the turn signal to return to a neutral position.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the sending the electrical signal causing the turn signal to turn off automatically based on an orientation of the vehicle changing to turn in a direction indicated by the turn signal comprises:

receiving, by the automated turn signal system, compass information indicative of the vehicle having changed direction from a direction the vehicle was heading at a time associated with when the turn signal was turned on; and

sending, by the automated turn signal system, the electrical signal causing the turn signal to turn off based at least on the received compass information indicative of the vehicle having changed direction from the direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the sending the electrical signal causing the turn signal to turn off is further based on a degree of the changed direction being over a threshold value.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the sending the electrical signal causing the turn signal to turn off based on the received compass information comprises:

determining, by the automated turn signal system, whether a current direction in which the vehicle is heading is toward the direction indicated by the turn signal at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on;

determining, by the automated turn signal system, a difference between the current direction in which the vehicle is heading and the direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on;

determining, by the automated turn signal system, whether the difference is greater than a threshold difference value;

if the difference is greater than the threshold difference value and the current direction in which the vehicle is heading is toward the direction indicated by the turn signal, making a determination, by the automated turn signal system, to send the electrical signal causing the turn signal to turn off based at least on the difference being greater than the threshold difference value; and

sending, by the automated turn signal system, the electrical signal causing the turn signal to turn off in response to the determination made to send the electrical signal.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computer processor, cause the at least one computer processor to perform:

determining whether a current direction in which a vehicle is heading is toward a direction that was associated with a turn signal when it was turned on;

determining a difference between the current direction in which the vehicle is heading and a direction the vehicle was heading at a time associated with when the turn signal was turned on;

determining whether the difference is greater than a threshold difference value;

if the difference is greater than the threshold difference value and the current direction in which the vehicle is heading is in the direction associated with the turn signal, making a determination to send a signal to turn off the turn signal based at least on the difference being greater than the threshold difference value; and

sending the signal to turn off the turn signal in response to the determination made to send the signal.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the computer executable instructions stored thereon, when executed by the at least one computer processor, further cause the at least one computer processor to perform:

over a period of time that includes a substantially current time, receiving compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle is heading;

storing the received compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle is heading, the storing occurring substantially as the compass information indicative of which direction the vehicle is heading is being received;

within the period of time, and in response to receiving information indicative of the turn signal having been turned on, retrieving from the stored compass information, information indicative of the direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on; and

after retrieving the information indicative of which direction the vehicle was heading at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on, retrieving from the stored compass information, direction information stored at the substantially current time as information indicative of the current direction in which the vehicle is heading.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is a memory device located within a vehicle.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the computer executable instructions stored thereon, when executed by the at least one computer processor, further cause the at least one computer processor to perform:

determining whether the vehicle has been heading in a current direction the vehicle is heading over a particular length of time, then making the determination to send the signal to turn off the turn signal additionally based at least on whether the vehicle has been heading in the current direction the vehicle is heading over the particular length of time.